The new Dexcom G7 is the latest Continuous Glucose Monitor from Dexcom with some impressive and advanced features. It’s the upgraded version of the popular Dexcom G6, meaning users will enjoy more features and eventually save costs with this new CGM. Staying on top of your glucose levels may have just gotten easier.
The Dexcom G6’s increased popularity is due to its compatibility with insulin pumps like the Omnipod 5, so with the launch of the G7 users expect it to continue to integrate with insulin pumps.
However, that might not be the case yet, at least. With the G7 being a new technology, insulin pump manufacturers still need to do some work to get their pumps to integrate with this device.
But let’s look at how the Dexcom G7 and G6 compare and what insulin pumps are predicted to integrate with the new CGM soon.
Dexcom G7 Vs. Dexcom G6
The Dexcom G7 is the seventh generation CGM device manufactured by Dexcom that comes with many advanced features for accurate and more reliable readings.
Like the previous G6, the G7 is a small sensor attached to the skin that detects the glucose level in the interstitial fluid. The sensor is connected to a compact transmitter, which transmits real-time information to your smartphone. A key difference between the G6 and the G7 is that the latter does not have a separate sensor and transmitter – it’s all built into one device.
Some key improvements of the new G7 over the G6 are the smaller and thinner body, longer wear time, shorter warm-up period, enhanced accuracy, and performance. The G7 is around 60% smaller and more flexible, making it more comfortable to wear.
It has a longer wear time with a 12-hour grace period to replace dead or worn-out sensors, unlike the G6, which has no grace period. Also, the warm-up period has been cut – from two hours to just thirty minutes.
Using an Insulin Pump with a CGM
Some examples of insulin pumps include:
- Medtronic MiniMed 670G
- Omnipod 5
- Omnipod DASH
- Acuu-Chek Spirit Combo
- Ypsomed YpsoPump.
When worn together, an insulin pump and a CGM can help to prevent dangerous health complications like hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia and help people with diabetes live more comfortably.
Some modern insulin pumps can be integrated with CGM devices like Dexcom G6, meaning they can exchange information directly. This is called a closed-loop system and it means that both devices work together as an artificial pancreas.
In a closed-loop system, by integrating with the CGM, insulin pumps can automatically detect insulin needs based on BGL readings and adjust insulin delivery accordingly.
Insulin Pumps & the Dexcom G7
Although the Dexcom G7 is available in the United States and cleared to integrate with various insulin delivery systems and wearables, these integrations haven’t been made a reality yet. Let’s find out why by looking at two of the most commonly worn pumps:
Omnipod 5
For example, the Omnipod 5 and Dexcom G7 integration doesn’t work at the moment because of the pump’s outdated software issues. Omnipod 5 lacks the software to ensure its compatibility with the G7.
It will need to be updated by the manufacturer, Insulet, for the integration to work. For now, only models like the Dexcom G6 work with the Omnipod 5. Users will have to keep obtaining their glucose readings with their current device.
T: slim x2
The Dexcom G7 is also incompatible with the t: slim X2 pump due to the G7’s unique IDs. Like the Omnipod 5, the t: slim X2 pump will need a remote software update to ensure its compatibility with the Dexcom G7. When this update is made available to all t: slim X2 users, they can use the Dexcom G7 sensor with the pump.
Tandem Diabetes Care, the company that develops the t: slim X2 pumps, has already revealed it will work to have its insulin pumps, present and future, be paired with Dexcom’s CGM sensors. Given that the two companies share nearly a decade of history, t: slim X2 pump users can rest assured that the integration is in the works.
It may sound inconvenient and frustrating for users who want to switch to the G7, but luckily, it’s only temporary. Soon, the two devices will be compatible, and users can enjoy the long-term benefits of the integration, such as getting real-time notifications quicker and gaining better insight into their glucose levels.
Dexcom, on its part, is working hard to ensure its G7 CGM integrates with the present and future insulin pumps. For now, the company advises you to continue with the Dexcom G6 until the G7 is compatible with most insulin delivery systems.
Final Thoughts
Using an insulin pump with a Dexcom CGM can enhance control over glucose levels, leading to a better quality of life. However, note that insulin pumps aren’t compatible with the Dexcom G7 yet, as the modalities are still being worked on.
In due time, it will be possible to use the G7 with all insulin pumps, including the Omnipod 5.
In the meantime, if you do decide to switch over to the Dexcom G7, Gluroo is already compatible! Gluroo offers smart and non-obtrusive BGL alerting, allows you to track things like insulin boluses, carb intake, exercises, and more, and synchronizes all of this information for everyone in your GluCrew to see.
You can download Gluroo for free today!
Too much time spent addressing Omnipod 5 for type 1 diabetic. The majority of Omnipod users are type 2 diabetic that use Omnipod Dash. Please provide more info for Omnipod Dash users.